Michael S Kuhns, PhD

Interim co-Chair, Immunobiology
Professor, Immunobiology
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Professor, Genetics-GIDP

Michael Kuhns did his PhD training with James Allison at UC Berkeley studying the role that CTLA-4 plays in regulating CD4 T cell responses. He then went on to Stanford University for his postdoctoral studies with Mark Davis, studying the architecture and function of the TCR-CD3 complex, and joined the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona in 2010. When in search of a mental diversion, he enjoys mountain biking and hiking in the local desert and sky islands.

Degrees
  • BS: University of Arizona
  • PhD: University of California, Berkeley
Fellowship
  • Post-doctoral Fellow: Stanford University

Recent Publications

2024

Lee, M. S., P. J. Tuohy, C. Y. Kim, P. P. Yost, K. Lichauco, H. L. Parrish, K. Van Doorslaer, and M. S. Kuhns, "The CD4 transmembrane GGXXG and juxtamembrane (C/F)CV+C motifs mediate pMHCII-specific signaling independently of CD4-LCK interactions.", Elife, vol. 12, 2024 Apr 19. PMCID: PMC11031086  PMID: 38639990

2022

Kim, C. Y., H. L. Parrish, and M. S. Kuhns, "The TCR Cα Domain Regulates Responses to Self-pMHC Class II.", J Immunol, vol. 209, issue 10, pp. 2033-2041, 2022 Nov 15. PMCID: PMC9643626  PMID: 36426940
Lee, M. S., P. J. Tuohy, C. Y. Kim, K. Lichauco, H. L. Parrish, K. Van Doorslaer, and M. S. Kuhns, "Enhancing and inhibitory motifs regulate CD4 activity.", Elife, vol. 11, 2022 Jul 21. PMCID: PMC9333989  PMID: 35861317

2020

Kobayashi, S., M. A. Thelin, H. L. Parrish, N. R. Deshpande, M. S. Lee, A. Karimzadeh, M. A. Niewczas, T. Serwold, and M. S. Kuhns, "A biomimetic five-module chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) designed to target and eliminate antigen-specific T cells.", Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, vol. 117, issue 46, pp. 28950-28959, 2020 Nov 17. PMCID: PMC7682351  PMID: 33139567

2019

Krummel, M., C. Blish, M. Kuhns, K. Cadwell, A. Oberst, A. Goldrath, M. K Ansel, H. Chi, R. O'Connell, J. E Wherry, et al., "Universal Principled Review: A Community-Driven Method to Improve Peer Review.", Cell, vol. 179, issue 7, pp. 1441-1445, 2019 Dec 12. PMID: 31835023

2018

Glassman, C. R., H. L. Parrish, M. S. Lee, and M. S. Kuhns, "Reciprocal TCR-CD3 and CD4 Engagement of a Nucleating pMHCII Stabilizes a Functional Receptor Macrocomplex.", Cell Rep, vol. 22, issue 5, pp. 1263-1275, 2018 Jan 30. PMCID: PMC5813697  PMID: 29386113
Deshpande, N. R., J. L. Uhrlaub, S. Sing Way, J. Nikolich-Zugich, and M. S. Kuhns, "A disconnect between precursor frequency, expansion potential, and site-specific CD4+ T cell responses in aged mice.", PLoS One, vol. 13, issue 6, pp. e0198354, 2018. PMCID: PMC5986155  PMID: 29864157
Lichauco, K., M. S. Lee, and M. S. Kuhns, "Bonds Voyage! A Dissociative Model of TCR-CD3 Triggering Is Proposed.", Immunity, vol. 49, issue 5, pp. 786-788, 2018 11 20. PMID: 30462991

2016

Parrish, H. L., N. R. Deshpande, J. Vasic, and M. S. Kuhns, "Functional evidence for TCR-intrinsic specificity for MHCII.", Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2016 Feb 1. PMID: 26831112
Glassman, C. R., H. L. Parrish, N. R. Deshpande, and M. S. Kuhns, "The CD4 and CD3δε Cytosolic Juxtamembrane Regions Are Proximal within a Compact TCR-CD3-pMHC-CD4 Macrocomplex.", J Immunol, vol. 196, issue 11, pp. 4713-22, 2016 06 01. PMCID: PMC4875830  PMID: 27183595